We’re more than halfway through the debut season of Going Dutch and this episode delivers a tidy sitcom experience, both pushing the boundaries of American culture and succumbing to storylines that need an update.
The episode (Wish Upon a Star) compares the similar, yet different, ambitions of the two main characters: US Army Colonel Patrick Quinn (Denis Leary) and his daughter and colleague Captain Maggie Quinn (Taylor Misiak). Denis Leary desperately wants to ascend to the rank of General and Captain Maggie has an elaborate plan (including the LLOL “murder board for her career”) to transition from a military career to a political one.
Both Quinns need to impress high-level military officials who are planning to visit Stroopsdorf for the rank advancement ceremony for Denis Leary’s nemesis: General Davidson (Joe Morton).
On the side, Danny Pudi gets a sex plot where his uptight character attempts a one-night stand, but the situation devolves into dubious consent and mild workplace harassment. The best part of this storyline was Sergeant Dana Conway’s (Laci Mosley) extremely appropriate sex pep talk: Be All That You Can Be. I was surprised by this storyline, only because I didn’t realize threesomes and bondage was so normalized for a regular Thursday night.
I also appreciate the unpredictability of how Corporal Papadakis (Hal Cumpston) is used as comic relief. It appears the writers really love using this character in fresh ways (with delightfully unconventional costumes for a military show).
On another costume note: Captain Maggie’s braid in the first few scenes was mesmerizingly distracting. I’m pretty sure it was extensions and looked like someone glued a glossy challah to her head.
What was unsurprising was the tired storyline where a woman must perform mountains of invisible, emotional labor in order to advance in her career or receive earned recognition, while a man merely has to show up. You may relate to the feeling of having to shovel the manure before anyone has a chance to smell it, because you’re powerless to stop the shit from getting dropped. In the show, Captain Maggie successfully manipulates her father into acting like a professional adult and seemingly earns a favorable interaction with the higher-ups, only to be disappointed by the reality of nepotism and workplace politics. While her father receives praise and invitations to exclusive hunting trips for managing not to insult high-ranking military officers, Maggie’s only consolation was clumps of cake eaten by hand and a heavily implied relationship budding with Danny Pudi.
Unfortunately, the bond the writers are bread-crumbing between Pudi and Captain Maggie may never come to fruition. Critics are giving Going Dutch average-to-favorable reviews, with a repeated refrain of “wait and see.”
Los Angeles Times critic Robert Lloyd described the show as,” essentially conventional and can be more than a bit silly,” and that, while the military comedy is nothing new, Going Dutch pushes the boundaries of the premise. This review was published in late December 2024 and I wonder if the writer would feel differently about how far this goes, in light of today’s current events.
In Variety, writer Alison Herman describes the show as “taking the scenic route” saying, “There’s no reason to believe the show won’t get there eventually, and the early episodes generate enough goodwill to buy the time needed to figure itself out.”
I can’t yet tell if Going Dutch will be renewed for Season 2. It truly does feel like an extremely middle-of-the-road sitcom. You could say my opinions of the show are split evenly in half. While I don’t picture this show taking any brave stances, I am enjoying the motley assortment of minor characters—similar to my love for A.P. Bio. Let’s hope the last group of episodes pushes for quirky swings and unexpected storytelling.
